Real Madrid took a 3-0 first-leg advantage in the Champions League round of 16 tie at home to Manchester City, thanks to a hat-trick from Federico Valverde. After the match, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke to the media in the post-match press conference and shared his views on the game.
What happened? Did Manchester City lack confidence early on?
“0-3 is better than 0-4. After we conceded, we sometimes struggled to control the transition, and they can move forward quickly. Once they hit their stride, it becomes very tricky. But I thought we played quite well. Doku got to the byline several times, but we were missing something in the final moments. We defended poorly for the first goal, and they have players like Valverde… he finished the chance perfectly. We will fight hard in the second leg with our fans behind us.”
How big is the chance of a comeback?
“The chance is slim, but we will try. We know it’s extremely difficult. The result is frustrating, but we will give everything. With our fans’ support, we can do better.”
On substitutions and the game plan
“It was similar to the game against Newcastle. We wanted to create scoring chances. They set up with five at the back and did very well; it was hard to find space. We couldn’t get the goals we needed. What can you do? Our plan was to get players close to the box and use pacey players. Real Madrid deserved to win; they have Guler, Vinicius Junior, Valverde, Tchouameni… it’s an exceptional squad. They cut out many of our transitions. We were clearly better in the second half and created plenty of chances to get a more positive result.”
Do you think Real Madrid did not play that well?
“No, we didn’t play badly enough to lose 0-3. As for Real Madrid’s performance, well… you win 3-0…”
What was most disappointing: the result, the lack of attacking threat, or the helplessness late on?
“I didn’t feel helpless. We didn’t create chances that forced Courtois into saves. How many times did we get close to the six-yard box but failed with the final pass? When you do that, the process is good. But we didn’t threaten Courtois much; we just fell short on small details. With those details, we score goals.”
Is there anything you could have done to stop Real Madrid’s counter-attacks?
“No adjustments were needed in the first 15 minutes. The goal came from Courtois’ fourth long ball to Valverde, and we didn’t control the distance well. Real Madrid played well, as they always do. This is my 50th match against Real Madrid as a player and a coach, it’s always the same… even if you push them back and dominate possession, they can still hit you on the counter. I don’t think we were bad, but the result makes that feeling meaningless.”
Were you surprised by Arbeloa’s tactics?
“Yes, they used a five-man defence and no centre-forward. We tried to push Ruben Dias and Gvardiol higher up the pitch. Their goals came from excellent counter-attacks and individual quality.”
